Thank you all so much for your support and inspiration this year. I'm extremely grateful to be able to share my blog and recipes with you throughout the year and thank you for your continued feedback. May the coming year bring you health, peace, tranquility and above all else, contentment.

As a token of my appreciation, I'd love to share this final delicious recipe for 2016. Why not celebrate the holidays with my fun and festive Christmas Tree Fudge Brownies? They're super easy to make and look pretty on the Christmas table too. I hope you'll love them!

1. Combine avocado and coconut oil and mash until smooth2. Stir in rice malt syrup and eggs3. Add all dry ingredients and stir 4. Pour into a lined brownie tin and bake for 25 minutes at 170C

To Make Avocado Frosting: Combine 1/4 of an avocado with 1 tbsp of non dairy milk and 3 drops of stevia, pass though a sieve to get lumps out. Scoop frosting into a the corner of a snap-lock bag and twist to hold mixture in the corner. Use scissors to cut a very small part of the corner off, and there you have a DIY piping bag!Pipe zig zags onto the brownie trees and decorate them how you please!

Christmas is a time of joy, the sharing of generous gifts, lavish hospitality and the warmth of celebrations shared between family and friends.

The moment December hits, I feel the anticipation for Christmas rising within me, and a yearning to experience the sensations of the festive season drives me into the mode of planning meals, decking the halls and imagining all the ways that I can express the Christmas spirit through delicious foods, gifts and home adornments.

Have you ever thought, however, about the impact of Christmas on our planet? Christmas is the peak time for consumerism, and sadly many of the gifts that are shared are of the plastic and cheap variety. And purchases that emerge out of our buy-buy-buy culture don’t serve the planet from an environmental point of view.

If you’re buying clothes, some of the outlets have questionable ethical standards, and foods are purchased and consumed in large quantities, out of season, and often wasted.

This is the not so pretty side of Christmas, but how about this year we approach the silly season mindfully, consciously and with sustainability in mind? I believe we can do it!

This year, I don’t have a Christmas present list for myself, but if friends want to bestow presents, I’m letting them know that plants or herbs for my garden are always welcome. I’ve also highlighted a couple of things in the Oxfam catalogue too. By the way, if you’re on the lookout for natural gifts for a healthy lifestyle then you might like to read my Healthy Gift Giving Guide here.

I’d love to share with you a few of my top tips for approaching Christmas sustainably and ethically this year.

Make your own Christmas tree

You might think that sparing a live tree might be better for the environment, but fakies of the plastic varieties generally only last around six years, and you can guess where they end up….. landfill! The best option for a sustainable Christmas tree is to put your thinking cap on and create something unique, from materials around you. Why not gather driftwood and arrange it as a tree, adorned with hanging seashells? Or pot a native Australian pine? The sky is the limit, and you can create something completely unique that will be a topic of interest for your guests. I make use of the large banksia tree in my garden and decorate it with fairy lights and second hand finds.

DIY gifts

Why not steer clear of the consumerist bandwagon and opt for gifts that are upcycled, homemade or DIY. A fun thing to do is to invite some friends around for a ‘crafternoon’, scouring pinterest for creative gift ideas. Think jars of deconstructed dry-mixes for baked goods such as brownies or cakes, with a handwritten recipe attached, or home made wall hangings, knitted or woven goods, or upcycled trash to treasure items made from op-shop finds. Steptoe and Son style :). You can also tap into the experience economy by avoiding a physical gift, rather opting for workshops, bread baking classes or cooking schools in your local area.

Meal plan sustainably

Avoid the supermarkets as much as possible, rather seeking to support small local businesses. Order organic meats and hams that are grass fed, free range and free of chemical nitrates. Enjoy ocean caught and local sustainable sea foods from your fishmonger. Hit up your farmers markets in the lead up to Christmas and stock up on seasonal fruits and vegetables, or visit co-ops locally to purchase organic nuts, seeds and dried foods in quantities you need. Plan your meals ahead of time. By working off a plan you can avoid food waste, and find ways to re-use the leftovers in the week after Christmas.

My blog and recipe books are full of seasonal delights that will tantalise the tastebuds this Christmas. You can read more about them here.

When it comes to menu planning here are a few ideas to mull around with in the lead up to creating your Christmas lunch or dinner...

When it comes to dessert, Supercharged Christmas Cake is a after dinner winner, and no Christmas table is really a Christmas table without the presence of mince pies; these Cranberry Mince Pies are to die for. Last but not least, every Aussie Christmas feast must have a nanna inspired trifle, and my Layered Quinoa Trifle will satisfy your sweet tooth, even after filling yourself to the brim with feasting.

For my absolute top picks, here are a few of the sustainable and supercharged Christmas courses that will be gracing our family table this year from my eBook The Renewable Table.

I wish you all a very Merry Christmas and happy and sustainable holiday season 🙂

And now for the recipes..

Mexican lamb shoulder with cumin, oregano and pomegranate glaze

Serves 8

Ingredients

4 garlic cloves, chopped

2 tsp ground cinnamon

2 tsp ground cumin

1 tbsp. dried oregano

1 lemon halved and pips removed

1 tsp Celtic Sea Salt

1 tsp black pepper

2kg bone-in lamb shoulder joint

2 brown onions, cut into wedges

1 whole quorn of garlic unpeeled

1litre pomegranate juice

1 lemon juiced

3 tbsp. apple cider vinegar

2 tbsp. rice malt syrup

250g full fat natural yogurt

Seeds from 1 fresh pomegranate

Small handful mint leaves, chopped

Method

To make marinade place garlic, cinnamon, cumin, oregano, lemon and rind, salt and pepper and blend until smooth.

Place the lamb in a large baking dish and spoon the mixture on top and massage in with hands. Let marinade in fridge for between 2 and up to 24 hours.

Heat oven to 160°C/140°C fan/ gas 3. Place lamb into pan and garlic and onions surrounding the lamb, then pour over the pomegranate juice and lemon and apple cider vinegar.

Cover the lamb with foil and cook for approx. 4 hrs, checking every hour and re- basting with the juice.

When ready and after four hours, remove pan from the oven and carefully remove lamb and pour juice into a saucepan on the stove over a medium heat. Replace lamb into baking tray and place back into the oven whilst you are making the syrup.

Add rice malt syrup and cook until bubbly and a thick syrup is formed adding more rice malt syrup if necessary. This should take about 20 minutes. Once it is ready, remove foil from lamb, pour it over the lamb and return to oven for 20 mins until the lamb becomes crispy on top.

Can you smell the festive pine scent of mistletoe in the air? Christmas festivities are not far away and when it comes to stocking fillers, and gift giving, now is the perfect time to start brainstorming ideas about the best present for your friends, family and loved ones.

While it’s important to enjoy the festive season (so yes, that may mean eating an extra slice of Christmas cake and pudding!) there are lots of fun and quirky presents to fit the bill for people who are excited by a health and wellbeing lifestyle.

If you’re looking to give the gift of health this season, to get the ‘baubles’ rolling, here’s a round-up of what I’ve had my eye on for gift giving this year. Whether it’s a new and exciting cookbook for your partner to roll up their sleeves in the kitchen with, a nifty kitchen appliance for quick and easy family meal making or a natural beauty product for a special person in your life – there’s something Supercharged for everyone this Christmas.

BOOKS

Grown & Gathered by Matt and Lentil Pubrick is dedicated to your future garden, full pantry, warm home, celebrations and happy everyday routines. The book begins with observing through the seasons and centres on traditional living made modern. It’s the perfect pick for anyone looking to learn more about gathering, foraging and preparing food, preserving, growing their own fruits and veggies, raising animals and trying out tasty and home spun wholefood recipes. For only $45, you can teach a man or woman to farm, cook and eat for their lifetime! As an experienced chai wallah, I gravitated straight to the Authentic Chai and it was heavenly. You can find out more how to grow and gather here.

The Beauty Chefby Carla Oates truly embodies the philosophy that beauty comes from within. Oates delivers over 150 recipes that are specially created to transform your health and beauty from the inside, by balancing gut-bacteria and the outside, focusing on recipes for glowing and radiant skin. Now, who wouldn’t want to feel their best over the holidays and beyond? As it’s Christmas time, I headed straight towards the gingerbread men, full of digestion–boosting spices; ginger and cinnamon. $49.95. Pick it up here.

Spice Health Heroes examines the healing power of spices and how to use them in everyday life! This amazing cookbook includes the history and traditions of spices and includes recipes for everyone’s palate which are contributed by internationally renowned chefs like Yotam Ottolenghi and Peter Gordon. What I love about the book is that it features a comforting and cleansing broth inspired by the wonderful Hippocrates, truly embracing his famous quote, “let food be thy medicine and medicine by thy food,” The Hippocrates Healing Broth features ingredients that go back to antiquity and it comes with helpful tips like; when you prepare the soup, chop the leeks, onions and garlic at least ten minutes before cooking them to stimulate their active ingredients. $49.95. Go here for more.

Eat Right for Your Shape by Lee Holmes I know I’m cheeky throwing one of my own in here but I absolutely love this book! It’s the perfect prezzie for absolutely anyone: from a newbie in the kitchen to a wholefood Ayurvedic ninja warrior! Eat Right for Your Shape is more than just a cookbook; it takes its readers on an Ayurvedic journey to good health and focuses on bringing balance back into everyday life. Featuring over 120 delicious and nourishing seasonal recipes with ingredients that correct your doshic imbalance, in order to create harmony, weight management and health put it under the tree this Christmas. $34.99. Discover the joys of Ayurvedic cooking here.

Jamie Oliver’s Christmas Cookbook is packed with all the classic Chrissy recipes and exciting new meals that’ll wow your guests and fill them with Christmas cheer. Say hello to Roasted Carrot and Avo salad and a whole bunch of interesting and helpful chapters that include cooking for the Main Event, Meat, The Wonderful World of Potatoes, Vegetarian Mains and Scrumptious Veggie Sides, Cute Edible Gifts and Festive Puddings. The best part is, Jamie finally lets us in on the biggest Christmas secret of them all – what to do with all those Christmas Day leftovers. Jamie you've got me, hook line and sinker! $38.50. Buy here.

The Complete Gut Health Cookbook: Everything You Need to Know About the Gut and How to Improve Yours by Pete Evans.There’s nothing we love more on this blog than gut health! In his latest book, award-winning chef Pete Evans, alongside naturopath and nutritionist, Helen Padarin, share information on gut-boosting ingredients, healing herbs and over 100 new recipes to cook your way to gut health! It’s a great book if you’re looking for tasty recipes and ferments to support ongoing gut health once you've healed your gut. My favourite recipe? I was bowled over by the Sesame crusted avocado bowl with chicken and sprouts it’s a good one for when your gut is ready to digest all that yummy goodness. $39.99. Read more here.

Disobedient Gardens by Michael Cooke and Brigid Arnott is your go-to present for aspiring gardeners who need some real and organic inspiration! Cooke and Arnott will make anyone look at greenery with different eyes, as they acknowledge that gardens evolve in the same way that relationships do; they take time to grow, have a personality of their own and are each uniquely beautiful. The pages are filled with enchanting garden designs that feature aged weathered finishes that only time and patience can achieve. Designs that make use of earthy up-cycled finds, punctuated across secret garden spaces. $59.99. Get gardening here.

Neil Perry’s Good Cooking is all about using the best quality produce to create simple, healthy and delicious meals. What's cooking good looking? Did someone just say Spicy Barbecued Chicken Wings? Ok now I'm listening! Perry gives an insight into what inspires his cooking, drawing from his favourite local and international cultures in both his renowned restaurants and his own family kitchen. The book focuses on using seasonal produce and bringing the joy back into cooking with his special and unique “Neil Perrilicious” touch. Produce takes the starring role in each recipe. $49.99. Be part of the magic here.

NATURAL BEAUTY AND SLEEP PRODUCTS

Supercharged Food, Earth Mask & Scrub is the best end-of-year present you could get a pal! This beautiful mask and scrub combines the healing powers of minerals and pure clays from the iconic Australian outback town of Lightning Ridge, to beautify and soften skin, remove dirt and oils, improve age spots and keep the skin full of life. It works as a facemask and exfoliating scrub, leaving skin cleansed, nourished and glowing; ready to start 2017 in supercharged style. $19.95. Find out more about it here.

Butter London – High Tea Pack. Everyone’s favourite nail polish, with colours that look good enough to eat, Butter London has created a perfect collection for any occasion. The High Tea Pack dazzles us with four beautiful colours: deep berry, creamy nude, melon and minty green! It’ll take you all the way from the tapping of your computer keys in the office to striking a pose at the annual Christmas party. $44.95. Choose your colour here and be prepared to shine.

Inika Natural Makeup Kit is a wonderful gift for a gal pal, sister or favourite female. This premium quality gift pack is suited to fair to medium skin tones. Not only are the products Australian-based, organic, cruelty-free and vegan - they’re great value for money. The kit includes a primer, liquid foundation, BB cream, loose mineral powder and a make-up brush, they’ve truly thought of it all! $49. Find it here.

Badger Sleep Balm is a fantastic gift for every adult or child who deserves a good night’s sleep (so, yep, I'm guessing that covers just about everyone!). This completely natural balm combines calming essential oils to soothe your loved ones to sleep and can even be used as a beautiful scent to calm and relax. For those of you who travel a lot and want to combat jet lag or catch some sleep whilst on the plane this works wonders. The perfect little stocking filler or dangle it from the Christmas tree as a decorative ornament. $14.95. Stock up here.

Goodnight Co. Silk Pillowcase ensures Rapunzelesque tangle-free hair and a youthful complexion! The silky pillowcase is breathable and hypoallergenic, allowing a better night’s sleep and ensuring everyone who uses it wakes up feeling refreshed and revitalised. The smooth, tight weave of natural silk fabric helps to keep the skin retaining moisture as you sleep. Think of this as the perfect ME present for the person who never spoils themselves. $69.95. Indulge yourself here.

Luk Lip Nourish. Ruby Grapefruit, Peach Melon, Tangerine Pomegranate…No I’m not describing the latest gourmet mocktails…I'm listing the new 100% natural sheer lipsticks from Luk Beautifood. This Australian boutique beauty brand is based on the premise that beauty is created from the inside with fresh, healthy food. Brimming with delicious, nourishing ingredients we should be eating, the Lip Nourish range supports your body’s natural processes to deliver stunning results. The all-natural, edible Lip Nourish range is rich in antioxidants, omega 3 and 6 fatty acids. The menu comes in ten delicious sounding and tasting flavours incorporating organic cold pressed citrus and spice oils. Without additives and nasties, now there is even more reason to go naked this silly season. Visit the store here.

HEALTHY HOME

Vanessa Megan Candle. A beautiful and enriching touch for any home, this candle is created from blending five essential oils. The essential candle’s soothing scents (hello lavender, ylang ylang, patchouli, and geranium) will leave everyone who takes in its aroma, feeling restored and tranquil. Place it on the by your bed or even on the Christmas table as a centrepiece to invite warmth and togetherness. $49.95. Pick it up here.

Full Circle Cucumber Water Bottle Boyfriend or husband not behaving well? Show him this picture! Ok jokes aside, this is an interesting new water bottle, bringing cucumbers into beautiful spirals for a subtle and fresh take on ordinary water. The bottle comes with a spiralizer, is made of glass and is BPA free. Who doesn’t want to sip on water like they’re sitting at a spa whilst reducing their carbon footprint at the same time? Perfect for people who love to stay hydrated in the go. $30.95. Drink it up here.

Phillips “Grain Master” Rice Cooker is an automatic rice-cooker with built in settings to ensure quinoa, porridge, lentils and of course, rice, can be cooked to perfection! This easy-to-use whizz machine keeps food warm for 12 hours following cooking and is super easy to clean – mum’s and dad’s and home cooks everywhere will be rejoicing at the ease and simplicity of use! Put this on the Christmas shopping list for parents or busy cooks and make their life in the kitchen a lot easier. $159.00. Read more here.

The Loqi Reusable Shopping Bag Forest Set contains four reusable bags that are water-resistant and can carry up to
20kg of weight, so are suitable for the gym, the beach, shopping, sleeping overnight and everything in between! The bags come in funky colours and fold into themselves so are super convenient and with an arty boho look. Save on supermarket plastic shopping bags and reuse these. $39.95. Get shopping here.

Dr Bronner's Rainbow Sampler Pack is a beautifully packaged range of Liquid Soap that has over eighteen uses in, on and around the home. This sampler pack is a great introduction to the range of amazing products, with six cruelty-free, certified fair trade and vegan bottles. $29.95. Go here to include these in the Santa stocking for the eco friendly friend or relative.

Water Co. Therapy Shower Filter Deluxe filters up to 99% of chlorine, maximising youthful skin conditions! The filter uses Vitamin C and natural sea collagen, to ensure beautiful and firm skin. The good news for environmentalists is that the filter uses approximately eight litres per minute, which is a whopping one litre less than most water saving filters; saving the environment and your skin, what could be better? $159. Clean up here.

Fressko Glass Tea Flask is made of double-walled glass to ensure that both hot and cold drinks remain the right temperature for hours on end. The bottle has an infusion so makes the perfect carrier for chilled fruity iced tea whilst enjoying endless summer days on the beach or to warm up at night with a hot toddy that you can carry around town or take with you on your holiday travels! $49.95. Get your toddy on here.

Paderno Spiralizer 4-Blade transforms vegetables into noodles, spirals and more! Its super nifty compact design is perfect for making your favourite ‘zoodles’ ‘coodles’ and ‘swoodles’ (that’s sweet potato noodles for the uninitiated) and salads that look and taste no less than supremely supercharged. At $40.00 you can have endless fun with this machine and make anything from stir fries to salads and beyond. Pick it up here.

KIDS

Nevada Fun Face Paint Goody Pack is a face paint with no nasties! This fabulous face paint is made with only Mica and Zinc Oxide, so is perfectly safe for kids to play and paint with. All that is left is to just add water and your imagination. Included in the pack are: 3 surprise coloured face paint powders, 2 applicator sponges, 2 double-sided brushes and a sheet of tattoos. $24.95. Paint the town red here.

Supercharged Food for Kids by Lee Holmes. Me again! This book will convert even the pickiest eater into one who loves eating delicious recipes that are fully road tested and asked to appear frequently on the weekly menu.

The book encompasses all the best tips, tricks and shopping guides to get the kids to enjoy their favourite pizza and ice cream spiders but with a couple of ingredients swapped out to make them supercharged. Oh, and did we mention the healthy chicken nuggets recipe?! Yes, please! $24.99. Pick it up over here.

Natural Instinct Sunscreen for Kids is your best bet for protecting the kids' precious skin from sun damage over our blistering Aussie summer. The sunscreen is specially designed for young skin with moisturising ingredients and best of all, leaves a white layer on the skin to see where the sunscreen has been applied so that you never miss a spot again! Genius. Stuff this into the kids' stocking this Christmas. $19.95. Buy here.

MERRY CHRISTMAS

So there you have it my healthy Christmas gift guide. I hope you all have a Merry Christmas and good luck with choosing the perfect gift for your friends and loved ones. Look out for my Christmas day recipes on the blog too.

By the way, if all the Christmas food and activity has left you or your children tired and lacking in energy, then why not supplement your diet with a healthy boost for the New Year?

This natural gut health mineral rich food product makes a remarkable difference in digestion, nutrient absorption and waste removal. Think of it as the perfect present for anyone needing a simple way to kick-start their health coming into the new year! $18. Pick up your packet here.

Need a break from your regular granola? Why not try my Layered Berry and Rhubarb Breakfast Pudding? The rhubarb/berry mix can be pre-made the night before, so it's easy to pull together during morning rush hour.

Stewing fruit is a kitchen art that has been lost in modern times. Even the thought of the word “stewing” tends to evoke images of a housemaid hundreds of years ago, stirring a large pot slowly over a bubbling stove; something that many of us just don’t feel we have the time for in our rushed modern lifestyle.

But I think culturally it’s so interesting to see the 180 degree cultural shift towards more “artisan” ways of living and preparing food. There’s a genuine desire to get back to the way things were traditionally made and prepared through fermenting beverages such as kombucha, and making sauerkraut and sourdough from scratch. Stewing fruits is a beautiful, simple and frugal way to enjoy the mindful practice of traditional food preparation in your own home.

Stewed fruit recipes were extremely common in the past, before enhanced storage facilities and modern processing techniques. Pre the days of year-round fruit availability in supermarkets, home cooks would savour the flavours of the seasons by preserving fruit in different ways. After a seasonal haul of apricots for example, kitchen folk dried as much as they could and found other ways to plump it up throughout the winter. Fruits could also be extended in their lifespan by cooking and stewing if they were looking like they were passing their used by date.

Stewed fruit is perhaps the best way to use up all of that fruit you've hoarded on a fruit picking excursion. It’s also a great way to enjoy frozen fruit you may have stored as a result of a berry picking session or bargain bulk buy at your local farmers market.

This Layered Berry and Rhubarb Breakfast Pudding recipe is a gorgeous breakfast or dessert that can utilise seasonal berries and lovely fresh rhubarb. As a rhubarb fan I can tell you that there's nothing quite like the tangy taste and radiant rose-red colour that these divine stalks bring to a dish, especially when baked in pies and crumbles or stewed and spooned over porridges.

Stewing the rhubarb and berries slowly together releases the bright red colours; indicating high amounts of beneficial antioxidants such as heart-friendly proanthocyanidins. Enjoy these traditional stewed fruits with the coconut cream for a delightful and cosy dessert, or make extra of the stewed fruits to eat as a snack with yoghurt and toasted nuts and seeds, or if you really can't give it up just yet, spooned over your morning granola.

Are you craving something sweet and nourishing just because? It's time to satisfy your tastebuds with my delicious Pistachio Truffles.

If you’re on the hunt for a whole food party offering that is quick and simple to whizz up, then make and take these blissful balls to your next weekend or holiday gathering, they not only look the part, they’ll go down a treat too.

If you're a lover of sweet treats, it'll be a keeper in your recipe collection for several reasons. Primarily, it's a cinch to make, but it looks like you’ve gone to a whole bunch of trouble.

Your chocolate connoisseurs will never know the simplicity of the preparation. Just throw the ingredients into a food processor and pour into a tray, wait for an hour while it sets, and voila- like a rabbit out of a hat, an impressive dessert or sweet snack that'll knock the socks of your friends and family.

My secret ingredient is almond butter, a brilliant way to add in a shot of protein and bulk into a chocolatey treat that will help your body release the sugars more slowly. If you're into that kind of thing.

Almonds are one of my favourite 'pantry staple' ingredients because they embody beautiful ayurvedic benefits for pitta and vata dosha's due to their grounding and balancing fats and oils. These monounsaturated oils are beautiful for your skin, hair and nails which can easily suffer if you're facing the imbalances that accompany these dosha's.

The cooling nature of extra virgin coconut oil is a wonderfully pacifying ingredient in the warmer weather where Pitta's can become aggravated with stress hormones. To top that off, the extra addition of cacao- whilst a mild stimulant, is also extremely grounding for stressed out and fiery pittas due to its high content of magnesium and 'feel good' chemical inducing compounds that will help to relax tension in your nervous system and muscles.

This fudge is actually a great way to unwind!

It's not just for Easter either. Eat it religiously and keep your fudge regularly stocked in your freezer as a lovely afternoon pick-me-up with an ayurvedic herbal tea, as a well-appreciated kids lunchbox addition, or plate up as an angelic light dessert.

Despite its simplicity it'll never disappoint, and your cells will relish in the sneaky stash of health benefits that its wholefood ingredients will deliver.

BTW, even though the fudge appears to be iced, that’s just the way it comes out!

Happy Easter 🙂

Ingredients:

Makes 15

270 g (9½ oz/1 cup) almond butter

80 ml (2½ fl oz/1⁄3 cup) extra virgin coconut oil, melted

30 g (1 oz/¼ cup) cacao powder

90 g (3¼ oz/¼ cup) rice malt syrup

½ teaspoon Celtic sea salt

1 teaspoon alcohol-free vanilla extract

Method

Line a baking tray with baking paper.

Process the nut butter and coconut oil in a food processor until smooth. Add the remaining ingredients and process until smooth and creamy.

Spoon the mixture into the prepared tin to 3 cm (1¼ inches) thick and smooth the top with the back of a spoon or a spatula.

Freeze for at least 1 hour before slicing and serving. If stored for longer in the freezer you may need to transfer to the fridge to soften a little.

I’m so excited to share the happy news that my sixth cookbook in the Supercharged Food series, Eat Right for Your Shape is available for pre-order here.

Eat Right for Your Shape takes a fresh look at the ancient healing system of Ayurveda and applies it to the way we eat and live. This book has been cooked up in the Ayurvedic kitchens of Kerala, where I spent time last year studying Ayurvedic nutrition and cooking.

Originating in India, Ayurveda presents a holistic approach to feeling well and living in harmony with yourself and your surroundings. It is a union of the mind, body, senses and soul.

Through nutrition, yoga and meditation, it focuses on treating the individual as a whole rather than a specific issue or disease, so that you can achieve balance and good health, not only in your physical body, but also in your mind and spirit.

Immersing myself in Ayurveda and its philosophies inspired me write a practical based book with an emphasis on balance and self care.

In this book, I’ll show you how to apply Ayurvedic principles to your life. I cover eating habits, digestion, daily routines, yoga and meditation.

One of the starting points is establishing your own particular dosha or constitution to enable you to tailor the principles and recipes to suit you. There’s a comprehensive questionnaire in the book to help you do this.

Following that is a chapter on basic yoga poses and breathing exercises unique to you to help pacify your dosha or shape, and I’ve included over one hundred and twenty delicious and nourishing recipes that correct your doshic imbalance, in order to create harmony, weight management and health.

In the book I offer a wealth of practical advice to eat right for your own dosha or shape.

I believe that this is more than just a book about losing weight and eating right for your shape. It has been the hardest book I've ever written but it’s the one I’m most proud of.

This Christmas holiday period, my favourite beach spot Kutti Beach is where I’ll be holding a family beach-themed picnic. The soiree will take the shape of a moveable feast with pistachio stuffed mushrooms followed by apple cider vinegar and smoked paprika pulled pork sliders with apple kaleslaw and homemade Christmas fruit cake. Finger food at it’s finest, guaranteed to bring a whole lot of merriment amongst the sandcastles!

To avoid the culinary festive pitfalls that accompany many Christmas Day celebrations, I look to organization as my main game plan and this is where meal planning comes into it’s own. For me it’s all about note pads, to-do-lists and pre-preparation so that the day runs as smoothly as possible with minimal input effort and big impact dishes.

To get the ‘baubles’ rolling, I plan to make as much as I can the day before, so for the first course, I’ll whip up the mushroom stuffing pre-Christmas day and then marinade the mushrooms on the morning of, ready to bake at the last minute.

I'm excited to share my brand new print book with you, on my very favourite topic, the gut!

Gut problems are at the forefront of many people's health concerns: bloating, constipation, indigestion and food intolerances.

Importantly, the causes and symptoms of these sorts of digestive problems can be helped without resorting to a truckload of pharmaceuticals.

Research is also linking an unhealthy gut to serious medical concerns such as IBD, IBS, Crohn’s disease, coeliac disease, thyroid problems and diabetes amongst many others.

In my new book Heal Your Gut, I like to think of the gut as a garden that can only thrive when the soil is healthy. Healthy soil requires healthy foods and nutrients that will allow the ‘good guys’ to flourish. By feeding our bodies all-natural, easily digestible foods, we can help our gut to function optimally, without the need to resort to dietary supplements.

Heal Your Gut is especially designed to help restore inner gut health, including a four phase treatment program, supported by 90 delicious, anti-inflammatory recipes to heal and nourish your gut.

Recipes include warming drinks, teas, juices and tisanes; broths and stock; soups; and dessert. It also covers fermented foods for when your gut is strong.

The book is suitable for non-vegetarians and vegetarians and also people following a FODMAP diet and will help to alleviate many of the symptoms of an unhappy gut.

You can preorder the Heal Your Gut print book here, for delivery at the end of August.

Say hello to delicious recipes and a happy and healthy digestive system! Are you ready?

Love is in the air… and so is the aroma of freshly made chocolate. There's no better time to share a recipe for my delicious Love Heart Chocolates for you to woo your boo or BFF.

When you think of Valentine’s Day clichés do you conjur up little Italian men meandering and weaving their way around restaurant tables selling freshly picked red roses for "all the beuwdiful ladies out there"?

However you celebrate The Feast of St Valentine, make the ones you love feel special and show your adoration with delicious hand-made Love Heart Chocolates made with raw cacao for the ultimate understated romantic gesture.

What makes these indulgent delights so lovingly special is their smooth and velvety texture and chocolaty and buttery taste. As they melt in your mouth they also fill you up with goodness too.
Why choose to frequent confectionery aisles, when the superiority of homemade chocolate is so simple to achieve at home?

Whether you’re indulging in a little self-love, or wanting to impress that special someone, my Love Heart creations exude adoration and will win over the hearts of even the most discerning chocolate lover.

If you do happen to go overboard this Valentine’s Day, be sure to remind yourself of the following reasons to eat raw cacao, especially when you're nibbling on your second batch of chocs.

Raw Cacao is overflowing with one of the world’s most deficient major minerals, magnesium. In fact, there’s no known source on earth that provides more. Magnesium is essential in developing a strong healthy heart, can help to relax menstrual cramping, strengthen your bones and open up more than three hundred detoxification pathways in the human body.

Raw Cacao is super-rich in antioxidants. Ten percent of raw cacao powder is filled with them. They act as protective factors for the heart and circulatory system by increasing the ability of arteries to dilate, improving the functioning of the cells that line blood vessels and reducing the oxidsation of bad cholesterol (LDL). Interestingly, dairy appear to counteract these amazing antioxidant effects; just another added reason you should try my DAIRY FREE love hearts.

Raw cacao= happier you= lots of loving! Thank Phenylthylamine (PEA), a chemical that’s released into the blood stream when we are sexually aroused, and abundant in the brains of happy people. PEA is responsible for dopamine (the pleasure hormone), adrenaline and noradrenaline. When you eat cacao, your mental concentration will increase, livening up your attitude and increasing positive emotions such as joy, happiness and perhaps some hanky panky with the apple of your eye. Nudge nudge wink wink!

Bite into my bite sized treats anytime of the year and if you’re having a downer of a day pump yourself up with cacao. It’s a delicious way to improve cognition and emotional health.

These can be made in different shaped moulds for after dinner treats or fun treats at your next family party. If you’re feeling a little adventurous, add some orange or peppermint extract, crushed raw almonds, walnuts or cashews.

If you want to make new friends, this tantalising torte is a sure-fire way to do it.

Who could resist a rich, chocolate and berry dessert that is completely guilt-free? You and your new best friends will be bursting with bliss after just one mouthful.

This is one dessert that continually gets the thumbs up from my Eat Clean, Green and Vegetarian recipe book. I’ve included cacao in this recipe to give it chocolaty oomph. A hype-worthy quality of cacao is that it can be used to make chocolate, the most popular food craved by many due to its unique chemistry, taste and sensory properties.

The dark side (pun intended)of chocolate is the mass manufactured kinds that live in the supermarkets today, contain loads of health zapping ingredients like genetically-modified soy lecithin, refined sugar, powdered milk, and a whopping amount of pesticide and artificial hormone residues. Ewk. That’s a thumbs down 🙁

Present day machines that manufacture chocolate scorch the cacao beans from anywhere between 120- 130 degrees Celsius; annihilating the vital nutrients and living energy of this promising health promoter. Unfortunately there’s an ugly side of our population’s highest craved treat.

On the flipside, real chocolate really is, and always has been full of remarkable health boosting qualities. It just hasn’t been created the most healthful way. The key to unlocking the potential of chocolate is to devour it in its raw, natural state; the way nature intended. Just like any other food you choose to eat.

Make your own scrummy chocolaty treats at home using raw cacao products such as raw cacao powder, nibs, beans, and butter. These days you can pick these goodies up at just about every natural health food store, and they can all be used to make a host of delectable desserts and sumptuous smoothies, while also topping you up with mountains of antioxidants, vitamins and minerals.

If you want to get into the kitchen and whip up a raw delicacy then my decadent Berry and Chocolate Torte will deliver you a choccy fix whilst resting in the knowledge that it’s bringing health and healing to your body, rather than zapping energy and taxing your immune system with highly processed ingredients. The science is behind it!

Note to you, the commercial chocolate treats that you’ve previously loved will taste like cardboard compared to the lively flavours of this homemade desert! If the facts don’t convince you, the delectable, taste of cacao and the sweetness of the berries will!

Raw Berry and Chocolate Torte

WF DF GF VEG

Makes 1

Ingredients:

Base

175 g (6 oz/11/2 cups) raw walnuts

zest of 1 lemon

1/2 cup dried berries

60 ml (2 fl oz/1/4 cup) melted extra virgin coconut oil

1 teaspoon stevia powder

Filling

155 g (51/2 oz/1 cup) raw, unsalted cashews

40 g (11/2 oz/1/3 cup) raw cacao powder

115 g (4 oz) cacao butter, grated and melted

2 tablespoons rice malt syrup, or 1 teaspoon stevia powder

2 tablespoons additive-free coconut milk

juice of 1 lemon

2 cups mixed berries, plus extra, for decorating (optional)

Method

Place the cashews in a bowl, cover with filtered water and soak for 2 hours. Drain.

To make the base, place the walnuts in a food processor and blend until they are finely chopped. Transfer to a bowl and add the lemon zest.

Place the coconut oil and dried berries in the food processor and blend. Add to the walnut mixture and combine well.

Press the mixture into a 20 cm (8 inch) spring form cake tin and chill in the freezer for 30 minutes.

To make the filling, place all the ingredients in the food processor and blend until smooth.

Remove the base from the freezer and spoon the filling over the top.

Chill for 2 hours in the fridge, or 1 hour in the freezer, until set. Scatter over the extra berries before serving.

This will keep in an airtight container for up to 1 week in the fridge, or 2 weeks in the freezer.

Move over activated almonds and bliss balls, this year I’m letting you in on some of my highly classified festive recipes so you can stage a splendid seasonal spread on Christmas Day.

Because balance is the key to my personal food philosophy, I won’t be rolling out any stodgy Christmas pudding or cake, rich mince pies, sugared jellies, or brandy sauce. You can however check out my Cranberry Fruit Pies which are delightfully scrumptious.

I’m offering you a parcel of Christmas recipes, delicious and simple to create just in time for the big day. A merrimental collection of meals which can be piled high upon your festooned plate to form an anatomical and visual feast, encapsulating every colour of the celebratory rainbow.

If you haven’t ventured in yet, now is the perfect opportunity to get re-acquainted with your Christmas menu planning without so much of a hint of the word “Superfood” 🙂

THE MAIN

For an alternative to turkey or ham, buy an organic chicken and make this delicious garlic and rosemary chicken, bursting with flavour and warmth.

For something a little spicier you’ll love this Paprika, Garlic and Rosemary Chicken to make the Christmas table complete. My friend and fellow yoga teacher who blogs over at Lilapud came up with this deliciously spiced combo.
Paprika, Garlic and Rosemary Chicken

Serves 6

Ingredients

2 tbs of gluten free flour

2 tsp paprika

1 tsp cayenne pepper

1 tsp black pepper

1/2 tsp Celtic sea salt

6 organic chicken thighs

6 organic chicken drumsticks

1 tbs avocado or Extra Virgin olive oil

1 1/2 cups of organic free range chicken stock

1/2 cup of apple cider vinegar

4-6 garlic cloves unpeeled

3 stalks of rosemary

Method

Pre heat oven to 190 degrees Celsius

Place flour, spices/seasoning in a large zip lock bag & shake to mix

Add the chicken pieces and toss to coat

Heat oil in a large, flameproof baking dish

Shake off excess flour from chicken and add the pieces in batches to the hot pan to brown all over

Once browned, place chicken back into the pan; add stock, apple cider vinegar, garlic and rosemary

Bring to the boil then transfer to pre-heated oven, uncovered, for 40 minutes or until chicken is tender and cooked through

Remove chicken from pan, cover to keep warm, and make a reduction by cooking the pan juices in the same dish over a medium heat, uncovered, for about 5 minutes or until the sauce thickens slightly

Place chicken back to the pan and serve it at the table straight from the pan

Muffin Stuffing is a quick and easy stuffing recipe that looks great next door to the main meal. I like to cook mine in a muffin pan with individual paper cases.

Makes 6 large or 12 small
Ingredients

500 gms ground pork, crumbled

4 tablespoons E V olive oil

1 large onion, chopped

2 garlic cloves minced

3/4 cup pine nuts or crushed nuts

2 sticks of celery ribs sliced finely

1 TBS dried sage, rosemary and thyme

2 TBS parsley chopped

1 TBS lemon zest

1 cup chicken stock or until a moist consistency

1 egg whisked

1/2 cup pre-cooked quinoa or brown rice

1/4 cup chopped parsley

Fine sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Method

Preheat oven to 190 degrees Celsius

Pre grease a 12 or large six cup muffin pan

In a medium saucepan melt oil over medium heat add garlic, onion and celery, and cook until translucent then add pork, herbs, and lemon zest, and cook until pork is no longer pink

Place rice or quinoa and nuts in a large bowl and mix in chicken stock and whisked egg then add contents of saucepan, season with salt and pepper and transfer to muffin pan, pressing mix in and baking in oven for 30 mins until golden brown and the top is crispy

DESSERT

You’ll love my Fool Proof Fruit Cake recipe which can be made simply and easily and with a minimum of fuss. It’s a handy one to have at home for Christmas or bake then leave it in its baking paper and wrap it up in a pretty bow to take to your Christmas party. You have my personal guarantee that everyone will be very impressed.

Supercharged Fruit Cake is a flexible feast for stress free festive entertaining. You can add in whatever dried or dehydrated fruit you have in your cupboard or try it with a combination of fruits depending upon your tastes, guaranteeing you a different experience each time you make it.

The richly dark and intense flavour means you’ll only need a small slither to be fully satisfied.

Recent Comments

Lee

Lee

Made this tonight and it is definitely a simple recipe. Personally, when I have curry, I like to taste it so I ended up using maybe 1 tbsp for this recipe. I also substituted potatoes for turnips and italian seasoning for parsley. It turned out great 🙂 Definitely something for those of us who like a rich, simply flavored soup.